The human brain has been described as a massively parallel computing machine. But just how powerful is it? A recent brain scan analysis is offering some unexpected results. »11/10/14 9:30am 11/10/14 9:30am

Behavioral psychologists have known for quite some time that people are more likely to harm others when they're part of a group. A new study suggests that "mob mentality'" happens when we stop reflecting on our own personal moral standards. »6/13/14 3:45pm 6/13/14 3:45pm

As any dedicated dog owner will tell you, canines often appear to grasp the emotional content of what's being said to them. An unprecedented brain scanning study now shows this is likely true — and that this capability pre-dates domestication. »2/21/14 8:00am 2/21/14 8:00am

See that walnut-like object in this brain scan? It's a tumor that needs to be removed. But to avoid damaging critical functions like speech and vision, surgeons have to see the brain's tangled web of connections. The solution? Just add water. »11/26/13 9:40am 11/26/13 9:40am

Yikes, this is all kinds of creepy. Stanford scientists recently took the EEG signals from a person experiencing a convulsive seizure and converted them to tones that fell within the acoustic spectrum of the human voice. The results will send chills up your spine. »10/09/13 3:40pm 10/09/13 3:40pm

When working with patients in a deep coma, doctors interpret a flat EEG reading as a sign that the person is brain-dead and with little chance of waking up. But a new Canadian study raises the possibility of ongoing brain activity beneath that flat line. »9/20/13 1:20pm 9/20/13 1:20pm

By using brain scan data and a set of computer algorithms, scientists from the Netherlands were able to determine which letters a person was looking at. The breakthrough suggests it'll soon be possible to reconstruct human thoughts at an unprecedented level of detail, including what we see, remember — and even dream. »8/22/13 10:36am 8/22/13 10:36am

An international research team has produced the first-ever ultra-high resolution 3D digital reconstruction of a complete human brain. At the astonishingly low resolution of 20-microns, the new scans are providing an unprecedented glimpse into the inner workings of the mind. »6/20/13 1:08pm 6/20/13 1:08pm

Temple Grandin, the world's most famous person with autism, is a "savant" who is known for her exceptional nonverbal intelligence, spatial reasoning, sharp visual acuity, and an uncanny gift for spelling and reading. Now, looking to understand how she is able to perform such amazing cognitive feats, a group of… »10/15/12 8:05am 10/15/12 8:05am

To date, geneticists have identified plenty of genetic markers that are correlated with intelligence. Taken individually, however, these account for a paltry 1% of the variation in IQ scores. But now, an international team of scientists has identified a set of genes that appear to amplify each other's effects —… »6/26/12 10:37am 6/26/12 10:37am

fMRI brain scans have been used in a few US court cases to determine whether people lied on the stand. But the technology remains controversial. Now a court case could decide whether fMRIs are the next lie detectors. »5/14/10 3:00pm 5/14/10 3:00pm

A new computer program lets your brain turn fMRI machines into musical instruments by assigning notes to active regions of your cortex. The results may cause people to drive themselves crazy just to stay on the cutting edge of electronica. »7/06/09 5:30pm 7/06/09 5:30pm

Neuroscientists think they've identified the part of the brain that causes Tourette's Syndrome, the condition that causes random tics including compulsive obscenity. How long before we can hack that part of the brain? »5/12/09 3:00pm 5/12/09 3:00pm